Vacation 2.0 - Labor

It's that hot July/August weather here that just makes you want to stand under the sprinkler.

Mom and I did a lot of running around and cooking today and preparation for little em's birthday party tomorrow afternoon.

In the am we went grocery shopping. Mom is known to check the ads and write everything down based on who has what on sale. So perhaps this is where I learned that grocery shopping isn't merely a chore...it's an adventure.

First we went to Meier's. Meier's is a sort of one-stop shop much like Walmart. They had skinless smoked sausage and polish sausage on sale. We then picked up a honey-baked ham and went home and dropped everything perishable off.

Then to this place called Wally's Market, which is this family owned polish deli / market specifically to get rye bread. Then on to Valli Produce for blueberries and a couple of other vegatables.

Then on to Jewel. Heading to "the Jewel" is a Chicago thing. Much like we have Cub or Rainbow, chicago forever had two places to do your general grocery shopping - Jewel or Dominicks. If you've ever watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding - they even refer to heading to "the Jewel" where pantyhose is 2-for a dollar.

Then we stopped for lunch at Portillo's. Okay so when I'm home I need to have my fill of Chicago food. I know it sort of points a significance to food however typically I require a Portillo's hot dog with everything but onions and sport peppers and a slice of Lou Malnati's pizza somewhere in the midst of the trip. Oh and a black rasberry jelly Dunkin Donut. Surely not all together in one sitting but one by one they typically are on my to-do list. Too bad I like such healthy food!

This afternoon was spent baking and cooking...I was pretty much in charge of the baking - spritz cookies (modified with some jelly), brownies, a blueberry streusel cake and mom made a pot of calico beans, cut up veggies for the veggie tray, fruit salad, made homemade german potato salad and we made a cheesy potato caserole because somepeople in our family don't like german potato salad.

By that time it was around 6 and dad, mom and I went to dinner to this little family owned greek-type restaurant called Artemis. We walked in and my mom's cousin Erwin and his wife Ursel were sitting in the first booth so we said hi...caught up with them a little and went on to have a fairly quiet dinner.

I'm not sure I want to get old. Looking around the restaurant most of the older couples, including mom and dad could eat a meal and not say a word to each other. With mom and dad - it was mostly because they were fighting which makes for a lovely meal. However I wonder about the others? After 46 years of marriage have you just said everything there is to say?

The rest of the evening has been rather lackluster. But that's okay too.

I have determined that I don't want to be a baker or a chef when I grow up. Man - I don't know how people do this cooking stuff everyday.

TOP 5: spending time with mom, cookie dough batter, driving home from the store with the convertible top down, sleeping until 9 a.m., perfectly browned spritz cookies